Modulating satiety with neuro-music: a frequency-specific acoustic approach to appetite control

Introduction Global obesity rates are rising, necessitating innovative interventions for appetite control. This study investigated whether subjective satiety—referred to as “hunger stress”—can be modulated using frequency-specific acoustic stimulation (neuro-music) designed to target neural markers associated with fullness. Methods The research was conducted in two phases. Experiment 1 ( N = 22) used EEG to identify neural oscillations associated with satiety and behavioral tasks to measure attentional bias toward food cues. Experiment 2 ( N = 600) was a large-scale remote study evaluating the efficacy of neuro-music. Participants were assigned to beta/gamma, alpha, or control tracks and rated their hunger and “urge-to-eat” in two states: predining and post-snack. Results Experiment 1 identified that satiety is characterized by significant elevations in beta (14–30 Hz) and gamma (>30 Hz) oscillations, along with a moderate increase in low-alpha (~9 Hz) power; these neural markers were correlated with reduced attentional bias toward food. In Experiment 2, although all tracks showed an initial placebo effect, only the beta/gamma neuro-music produced a prolonged suppression of hunger ( p = 0.012) and urge-to-eat ( p = 0.004) at 30 min post-listening. This effect was state-dependent, occurring only in the predining condition. Discussion These findings suggest that entraining high-frequency cortical rhythms can selectively extend satiety signals during periods of metabolic need. Although the effects were transient (approximately 30 min) and did not persist after snacking, frequency-targeted neuro-music represents a promising, non-invasive tool for assisting with acute dietary regulation and appetite management.